Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon has sent Gupo noodles, a specialty of his constituency in Busan's Buk district, along with handwritten letters to all lawmakers of the People Power Party ahead of the Chuseok holiday.
Han began delivering the noodles on the 16th to the National Assembly offices of all 109 party lawmakers, including PPP leader Jang Dong-hyuk and floor leader Chung Jom-sig, according to political sources.
"Dear colleague, this is Han Dong-hoon. I am sending you Gupo noodles, which represent Busan's Buk district," Han wrote in the enclosed letter. "Gupo noodles carry our modern history. They provided a hearty meal for refugees who gathered in Busan during the Korean War, and after the war ended, they spread nationwide along the Gyeongbu rail line. This was the food that protected people's lives in the hardest and most difficult times."
"I will join forces with you to protect the lives of the people and become a stronger source of support," Han wrote. "I send the long-standing taste of Gupo with my gratitude. I wish you a warm and abundant Chuseok."
The gift to the PPP, Han's former party, is seen as an attempt to broaden contact with the party and resume engagement.
Han also plans to deliver the noodles to the National Assembly leadership, including Speaker Cho Jung-sik and Deputy Speakers Nam In-soon and Park Duk-hyum, as well as to Rep. Lee Kwang-jae of the Democratic Party of Korea, who chairs the National Assembly Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, on which Han serves.
Han's choice of Gupo noodles as a Chuseok gift appears to reflect their status as a food symbolizing Buk district, his constituency.
Gupo noodles have long been a beloved food that filled the empty stomachs of refugees pushed into Busan by the 1950-53 Korean War. In 2014, the product was branded through registration as a geographical indication collective mark.
Han has been working to promote his constituency, taking part in a "Gupo Day" event on the 4th of this month to publicize Gupo Market, where he served as a guide for the day.
